Posted on Monday, January 15th, 2024 at 2:41 pm
You’ve probably heard about how important your posture is to your overall health and comfort, but did you know that posture matters even when you’re not conscious of it? Sleep posture can also play a major role in your comfort and health. Adjusting yours can yield a wide range of health benefits.
What is Proper Posture When Sleeping?
Per the University of Rochester Medical Center, your goal when adjusting your sleep posture is to ensure your ears, shoulders, and hips remain aligned. How you achieve this will depend on your sleeping position:
- Sleeping on your back – Place a pillow under your knees. Doing so reduces spinal stress.
- Sleeping on your side – Placing a pillow between your knees will reduce hip and lower back stress. Using a pillow this way may also guard against the upper leg from interfering with the spine’s alignment.
- Sleeping on your stomach – Sleeping on your stomach can stress your back. However, if you’re most comfortable sleeping this way, you should put a flat pillow beneath your stomach and pelvis.
In general, regardless of how you sleep, placing pillows in gaps between your body and the mattress will provide for better spinal alignment. Try to limit tossing and turning at night, and keep your ears, shoulders, and hips aligned when moving.
Why is Good Sleep Posture Important?
Proper sleep posture offers a range of potential health benefits while also guarding against potential health issues. Here are some of the top advantages of good sleep posture.
Good Sleep Posture Can Alleviate Pain
There’s no one right sleep posture or position for everyone. As Johns Hopkins Medicine points out, factors such as pain, medical conditions, and simple preferences dictate what might be best for a particular person.
Experimenting with sleep positions can help you find one that results in the least pain during the night. This may be important if you struggle with discomfort due to injuries or chronic conditions. Maintaining correct posture can further reduce pain.
Good Sleep Posture Can Promote More Restful Sleep
Correct sleep posture should improve your comfort level. The more comfortable you are in bed, the less likely you are to wake up in the middle of the night.
Your sleep will be more restful with good posture. As a result, it will be more restorative, giving you the energy you need to maintain a healthy lifestyle during waking hours.
Good Sleep Posture Guards Against Injury
Good sleep posture minimizes strain and stress on muscles, ligaments, and other tissues. This doesn’t just minimize your discomfort. It can also reduce your chances of injury.
Good Sleep Posture Can Save Money
You might assume the mattress is to blame if you’re having trouble finding a comfortable sleeping position. However, before buying a new mattress, try fixing your posture. Doing so may be an affordable way to solve a frustrating sleep issue.
Contact a New York Sleep Specialist
Posture is one of many factors that can affect your sleep. With offices in West Babylon and Patchogue, New York, Silent Night Therapy can help address other factors that may be preventing you from restful sleep. Find out more by contacting us online or calling us at 631-983-2463 today to schedule a consultation.